Seeda is a partner in the Medway universities scheme

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams is opening the building, which will be used for vocational courses in health, education and policing.

It includes two lecture theatres, seminar rooms, computer rooms and a skills laboratory with an x-ray suite.

One course offered by Canterbury Christ Church at Medway is a policing degree run in conjunction with Kent Police.

About 750 students are expected to be based and taught at the building in Medway by the end of this academic year.

We will make a significant contribution to the number of vocational programmes offered locally Professor Michael Wright

The principal, Professor Michael Wright, said: "Canterbury Christ Church already has a reputation for academic excellence."

He added that one of the aims was to "make a significant contribution to the number of vocational programmes offered".

"The building has been named Rowan Williams Court in keeping with the University College's tradition of naming prominent buildings after archbishops of Canterbury," said prof Wright.

The Universities at Medway initiative is a partnership between the University of Greenwich, Canterbury Christ Church University College and the University of Kent with Mid-Kent College.

Cash boost

Earlier this month, it was revealed that the project had received a cash boost with nearly half of the �50m needed now secured.

The new "multiversity" in Kent, which was announced in March, will see student numbers rise to 6,000 by 2010.

It will also have a major impact on the area, creating about 600 new jobs.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has given �15m to the scheme, while the South East England Development Agency (Seeda) has donated a further �8.6m.